The Hindu : Sport : Repeat `double' for China

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jul 26, 2005

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Sport

Repeat `double' for China

Special Correspondent

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Chinese player Li Yang congratulates Lin Chen as Jiang Hai Yang looks on. — Photo: Rajeev Bhatt

NEW DELHI: China's future champions demonstrated their prowess and overpowered an upbeat Korea 3-2 to retain the team titles in the Asian junior table tennis championship at the NDMC Indoor Stadium here on Monday.

In a high-quality boys' final, China took a longer route to success, winning 3-2, after its girls' team had overcome a slow start to cruise to a 3-0 triumph.

Earlier, India retained its fifth place in both sections by brushing aside Hong Kong 3-0 in both sections.

Enormous depth

Korea, which had surprisingly knocked out Japan in the semifinals of both sections this morning, once again fell short of matching the relentless China. On the other hand, the day provided China an opportunity to showcase its enormous depth of talent. For the second straight year, China's unranked players humbled their more-experienced opposition.

World No. 4, Korea's Lee Jin Kwon won his two singles, Li Yang and Chinese spearhead Lin Chen, against whom he saved two match points in the fourth game. It was because of his efforts that Korea twice levelled the tie-score. But World No. 15 Kong Dong Hoon failed to play his part to perfection. In the deciding tie, Hoon started as favourite against China's unranked Li Yang but the Chinese proved himself when it really mattered in the deciding game.

Earlier, in the girls' final, World No. 20 Feng Yalan bounced back from the loss of the first two games to tame unranked Cho Ho La.

The results (team championship):

Boys: Final: China beat Korea 3-2 (Lin Chen bt Kang Dong Hoon 11-6, 12-10, 11-7; Li Yang lost to Lee Jin Kwon 11-5, 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 5-11; Xu Xin bt Han Ji Min 11-7, 4-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-8; Lin Chen lost to Lee Jin Kwon 12-10, 9-11, 11-6, 13-15, 6-11; Li Yang bt Kang Dong Hoon 11-8, 11-8, 4-11, 11-4).

Semifinals: China beat Chinese Taipei 3-1 (Lin Chen bt Chou Tung Yu 11-9, 11-9, 11-2; Li Yang bt Chiang Hung Chi Eh 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9; Jiang Hai Yang lost to Huang Sheng Sheng 11-8, 7-11, 7-11, 12-10, 9-11; Lin Chen bt Chiang Hung Chi Eh 11-7, 11-8, 11-8).

Korea beat Japan 3-1 (Lee Jin Kwon bt Jun Mizutani 6-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-8; Kang Dang Hoon lost to Seiya Kishikawa 8-11, 9-11, 11-3, 6-11; Hang Ji Min bt Taku Takakiwa 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 12-10; Lee Jin Kwon bt Sieya Kishikawa 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, 5-11, 11-5).

Standings: 1. China, 2. Korea, 3-4. Japan and Chinese Taipei, 5. India, 6. Hong Kong, 7. Sri Lanka, 8. Iran.

Girls: Final: China beat Korea 3-0 (Feng Yalan bt Cho Ha La 5-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-3; Liu Chun bt Nam So Mi 11-8, 11-9, 11-2; Yao Yan bt Shim Se Rom 11-7, 11-4, 11-5).

Semifinals: China beat Chinese Taipei 3-0 (Feng Yalan bt Liu Hsin Ying 11-7, 11-8, 11-8; Liu Chun bt Lee I-Chen 11-8, 8-11, 11-9, 11-8; Yao Yan bt Hsiung Nai Yi 11-9, 11-7, 11-5).

Korea beat Japan 3-2 (Nam So Mi lost to Yuka Ishigaki 3-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-13; Cho Ha La bt Yuri Yamanashi 11-7, 11-9, 11-4; Jin Dhal Re bt Ono Shiho 12-10, 11-7, 11-8; Nam So Mi lost to Yuri Yamanashi 7-11, 11-8, 11-8, 9-11, 5-11; Cho Ha La bt Yuka Ishigaki 12-10, 6-11, 17-15, 11-5).

Standings: 1. China, 2. Korea, 3-4. Japan and Chinese Taipie, 5. India, 6. Hong Kong, 7. Malaysia, 8. Macao.

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